


By Chance

by Beyond_Repair



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Friends to Lovers, Harry Potter Has a Pet Snake, Hogwarts Eighth Year, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Nightmares, Parselmouth Harry Potter, Post-War, Snakes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-06
Packaged: 2020-11-23 20:17:26
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,507
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20895509
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beyond_Repair/pseuds/Beyond_Repair
Summary: It was a cold night. Everyone in the Gryffindor tower was asleep lulled by the sound of the rain. Every student in the tower lost in a peaceful slumber, but for one black haired boy who wasn't.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> All characters belong to JK Rowling and associated publishers. I make no profit from this work of fiction.
> 
> I'm sorry about any mistakes, my mother tongue isn't English.

It was a cold night. Everyone in the Gryffindor tower was asleep lulled by the sound of the rain. Every student in the tower lost in a peaceful slumber, but for one black haired boy who wasn't.

Harry was on his bed, breathing heavily woken up by yet another bloody nightmare. It was about the war, the moment in the Forbidden Forest. "I'm alive..." said Harry taking a deep breath, while touching his scar - it had gotten bigger after the second curse.   
Before it was just a small lightning bolt on the top of his forehead, easily tucked away under his hair, hidden from the prying eyes, but now it was like a dangerous lighting bolt cutting the sky open. He followed the path from the beginning to the end, feeling this new scar, trying to get a hold of this intruder that scarred yet another part of his body forever. It was something alright. 

"Impossible to hide now" he scoffed.

He remembered when he first saw it. He was on the Hospital Wing, the war had ended, the bodies were being taken care of and the injured were all sent to the Hospital Wing for superficial injuries and St Mungo's for the most serious cases. That's how Harry found himself being manhandled to a bed despite his protests "I do not need to sleep right now. I can help with-"   
"So help me Merlin! If you do not rest right now, Mr.Potter!" Madam Pomfrey had said sternly, leaving no room for doubt that she wouldn't take no for an answer.   
Harry resigned himself to lie on the bed trying to sleep, he didn't want to see if Madam Pomfrey's wrath had any reservations about using a sticking charm on her patients, so that they would stay in bed.

He woke up startled, without air. Giving up on sleep, he walked to the bathroom. He was washing his face when he saw his reflection on the mirror for the first time after the forest. Right from the top of his forehead a lighting bolt travelling down through his eye until it reached the lower middle of his cheek hovering near his lips. 

Later Hermione had said in a gentle tone "It's a reminder that you are alive, that you are with us, that everything has finally ended. That we can begin again." while lightly caressing Harry's face.   
"It also looks bloody cool, if you ask me, mate." Ron said with a bright smile.


	2. Chapter 2

It was the second week of the semester. 

Hermione had convinced Ron and Harry to return to Hogwarts as eight years.  
A new addition made by Professor McGonagall or Headmistress McGonagall. Harry corrected himself with a small smile. 

She made an exception, so that those who were involved in the war could come back and finish their studies.

Harry was in bed, willing himself to sleep.  
Giving up, Harry took his wand out of it's hiding place under the pillow and cast a quick nonverbal Tempus. It was well past midnight, almost 2 now. But he couldn't take it anymore just laying there pretending to be asleep.  
So like a normal person he decided to take a walk.

He put on his trainers and grabbed his map and his invisibility cloak.  
As he grabbed the handle of the door he looked back to see everyone sleeping. He was feeling guilty for not telling anyone about his nightmares, not telling Hermione and Ron.  
But he wasn't prepared for their understanding looks, for the attention.

He gripped his wand and took off. 

Walking aimlessly around the school.  
Harry decided he needed to breath fresh hair, and somehow found himself, some time later, in front of the Great Lake.  
Accepting his fate Harry sat down.  
'Why sleep when you could watch this beautiful landscape' he thought to himself while playing idly with the grass.

Sometimes, like right now, he was that scrawny eleven-year-old boy again, awed by the beautiful school and by magic itself.  
Afraid of one day waking up and finding himself in his small bed back at 4 Privet Drive. He layed down, took a deep a breath and said slowly "This is real, not a dream." while looking at the sky.

There was a slight breeze making the grass tickle Harry's fingers.  
As the breeze became stronger Harry regretted leaving without something warmer. He had only brought his shabby pyjamas and invisibility cloak - that no matter how great at keeping someone invisible was terrible when it came to keep said someone warm.  
In Harry's defence he hadn't planned on being in front of the Great Lake at two in the morning almost three now. It just happened. 

Harry was savouring the view, when he saw someone walking towards him. 

It was no other than Draco Malfoy, dressed all in black. And he seemed so regal, like he was going to a fancy ball instead of taking an odd stroll at 3 in the morning. But to Harry's chagrin he seemed warmer than Harry, he had came prepared with a pure black cloak covered in black fur around his shoulders contrasting with his pale skin. Not like Harry, that had just ended up here, by chance, with nothing but a thin layer of cloth.  
And Malfoy the tosser had to just be better than everyone, didn't he? Even during nightly escapades.  
Harry frowning, made promises of coming better prepared next time.

And out of all the places he could have chosen to slither to, Malfoy ended up sitting a few feet away from Harry.

Malfoy slowly looked around, as if afraid of someone following him and interrupting his perfect planned night escapade. And deeming it safe of intruders, he slowly brought his knees to his chest and drew a deep breath.

And what was Harry supposed to do? He felt like he shouldn't be here. But he also had found this place first. And he couldn't just tell Malfoy to fuck off - no matter how much he wanted to. That would entail leaving his little bubble of invisibility.  
So Harry remained there, glaring daggers at Malfoy as if to make him go away, and leave his now newly proclaimed territory. 

The breeze picked up and it seemed that Malfoy wasn't planning on leaving anytime soon.  
He just sat there immovable but for his white-blonde hair - which seemed to deem Malfoy's orders of no movement unimportant as it danced freely with the wind.

'His hair is a mess' Harry thought, stifling his laugh, completely foregoing his own permanent messy mop that he called hair.

This was the longest interaction they had this year. No matter if this didn't technically count as an interaction, just Harry and Malfoy sitting by the Great Lake in silence.  
True they weren't rivals anymore, but they weren't friends either. They just ignored each other. Like they had made some sort of unspoken truce to let their last year be free of worries, be simple.

Harry had spoken at his trial. He had also spoken at Mrs. Malfoy's, he wanted them to have a fair trial, because they made wrong choices but they deserved to be treated fairly, without prejudice.  
So he had spoken about his experiences with them. He told them how Mrs. Malfoy had lied to Voldemort to save him and that Malfoy had also saved him.

He was so tired, he just wanted to let people know what had happened, to tell them his side of the story.  
That it was okay to say Voldemort's name. That he had left for good, they had won.

Harry knew how hypocritical it was to tell people to move on and live. Tell them to be happy. Assuring them that love prevails, that those they lost would always be alive in their hearts.  
'Such hypocrisy' Harry thought. Here he was in the middle of the night, woken up by nightmares about the war, about everything he had left hidden in a cupboard under the stairs, to think about later, to feel later.

He came back to his senses, not letting himself wander around in his mind. After the war everything he had ignored for the greater good, had came crushing down on him. Every death, every smile, everything small thing - even his fucking childhood - came down, crushing on him.  
He slowly took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. "Fuck" he murmured.  
Just as Harry let out that slightly broken word he heard a rustle.

Of course, Malfoy was still there.  
Suddenly he couldn't be there anymore. He felt too vulnerable, even if Malfoy couldn't see him.  
So he jumped to his feet, planning to go somewhere, where no one could see how broken he was.

So he left. He put some distance between Malfoy and himself. Took off his invisibility cloak putting it in his pocket.  
Harry started to run until he couldn't breath.

He sat himself trying to regain his composure. Breathing in, breathing out.  
That's when he heard it. A trembling voice with an acid tone "Go away!"


End file.
